Israel to Explore Ways to Treat Syrian Children Hurt in Chemical Attack

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A Syrian refugee is treated at Ziv Medical Center in Israel’s northern city of Safed. Photo: Ziv Medical Center.

JNS.org – Less than a week after a suspected chemical attack in Syria’s Idlib province, Israel’s cabinet agreed to examine a proposal to bring Syrian children in need of medical care to the Jewish state for treatment.

At a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Israeli Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz proposed bringing the wounded children — some of whom are currently in Turkey — to Israel. He argued that there was a moral imperative to do so. Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, however, opposed the initiative, reportedly over the coordination with Turkey that would be required.

The Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement saying that “no decisions were made at the meeting, nor was there a vote. The ministers expressed their views on the topic and it was decided that the issue would be explored to see if it is even possible to bring children from Idlib to Israel for medical treatment. There was no discussion of resettling them in Israel.”